EB (Energy Breakthrough): Mick, you’ve been involved as a student, but as a first time Team Manager, how have you enjoyed this year?

Michael Rodgers, Team Manager, Warracknabeal SC(MR): “It’s been a lot of fun to start from scratch – but a lot of hard work too.” Mick reveals. "My wife Sonia is as excited about it as I am as she is always up at school helping out too, and the students are really pumped!"

Left: The 2008 Warracknabeal Energy Breakthrough team (as pictured recently in the local paper). Team (L-R): Sonia Rodgers, Shelby Landt, Marc Carran, Sheridan Clancy, Ben Rattray, Elizabeth Liersch, Marc Hewitt, Maddie Tegelhuter, Tom Pearson, Jess Laney, Ethan Schilling, Rebecca McPherson and Team Manager Mick Rodgers in the vehicle.

EB: Behind every great man ... doesn’t sound like their campaign has been as the team name, ‘Chillax’ suggests!
MR: Yes, we have been very busy, but we've worked all year and have had a lot of fun! We took a vote on names and somewhere between ‘Fantastia Burrito’ and ‘Psychodelic Salamanders’ we came up with ‘Chillax’.

EB: How did you find the Waiting Game?
MR: We’ve been hanging on the Waiting List for a HPV spot all year and building a vehicle that could easily switch between a Human Powered or Hybrid vehicle. Then DeWalt Electrical came on board as a sponsor, provided us with motors and now we’re into hybrids ‘boots-n-all’.

The motors are small and nifty drill motors from DeWalt, capable of powering the vehicle up to 25 km/h without even pedalling. The mixed team of boys and girls (who are all year 10, except one year 9 girl) have been racing around their test track at lunch times for vehicle training.

MR: “It’s great team bonding and vehicle practice time.” Says Mick of their lunchtime sessions, which he joins. “Since we added the canopy, we’ve dropped 10 seconds off our lap times. Some people thought it would slow us down, but we think we’re onto a good thing.”
The team were recently featured in the local paper (b&w picture above) and are getting excited about getting to Maryborough and seeing all the other teams and vehicles.